


Camouflage and Christmas Lights

by Wargurl83



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alpha Castiel (Supernatural), Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Army Dean Winchester, M/M, Omega Dean
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-24
Updated: 2018-12-24
Packaged: 2019-09-26 08:22:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,101
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17138315
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wargurl83/pseuds/Wargurl83
Summary: Work inspired by https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yciA5s_5kY8





	Camouflage and Christmas Lights

**Author's Note:**

  * For [TobytheWise](https://archiveofourown.org/users/TobytheWise/gifts).



> Written for TobytheWise for the PB Holiday Exchange.

Castiel was standing in the kitchen when Dean came home with his orders sending him to Afghanistan, known as “the Sandbox” to the troops.

He’d been terrified for his omega.

The orders had come in late November for the unit to ship out two weeks before Christmas, enough time for Dean to get his gear squared away and packed, suppression meds and scent blockers picked up for a year, and pining meds for both him and Castiel. Then in a flurry of camouflage, bags, waving flags, and Christmas decorations Dean and the rest of the 1st SFAB were gone, the sound of the C-130 carrying them fading away as their families watched.

Cas found himself grateful for the support of the other spouses with mates who were gone. They leaned on each other much more than he’d ever expected, and he found himself with a second family. Sam and Jess did what they could, but they weren’t military and therefore couldn’t really relate to his situation.

His true saving grace, though, was Charlie.

Charlie had practically moved in at the behest of Dean and Dorothy. While Dean’s domain was the motor pool, Dorothy was in communications, which meant that she and Charlie were able to speak more often than normal. Dorothy snuck Dean in to talk to Cas as often as she could, making the separation as easy as it possibly could be for the two men.

 

 **

 

Castiel was sitting at the kitchen table when his world went sideways on August 13th, 2018.

 

 **

 

“Hey, babe! God, I miss you so much, and I can’t wait to get home.” Dean was smiling, his green eyes dark in the dim of the communications tent. Cas’ chest was tight as he reached out and ran his fingers down the screen of his laptop.

“Hello, Dean. I miss you too, sweetheart.” Cas swallowed past the lump in his throat. “Do you know when your unit is set to return?”

Dean shook his head and sighed in frustration. “Not yet Cas. There’s some talk about letting us come home for a week or two in November, but then we’d have to come right back for at least another six months.”

They chatted for a little while about what they would do if the unit got to come home in November. Castiel had suggested celebrating Christmas early and Dean was enthralled with the idea.

“We could totally decorate and everything and do Christmas and Thanksgiving on the same day Cas! Think of all the food! I miss real food, not that the chow hall isn’t bad but it’s not the same as getting a real pie…”

Dean ran his hand through his short sandy blond hair, before dropping it down to his lap. As he started to open his mouth again, Cas heard a high-pitched whistling sound and Dean whipped his head around to look at something behind him. Castiel felt his eyes go wide as a boom rattled the tinny speakers of his laptop and a siren went off in the background at the Forward Operating Base Dean was stationed at.

Dean looked back at the computer they were talking on and gave Castiel a hurried goodbye before taking off, hat -no, cover- in hand and forgetting to shut down the Skype session.

As Castiel was reaching for his mouse to terminate the session on his end so Dorothy didn’t get in trouble for an open unsecured line, he heard another whistle.

But this time, he saw the tent crumpling as a mortar slammed into it, saw shrapnel flying and embedding itself into anything in the way flames belching from the communication servers, preluded screams as the connection was severed.

He screamed and crumpled to the ground as Charlie came bolting out of the guest room. The last thing he saw was her red hair flying behind her as she rushed to him and caught him before he hit the tile floor of the kitchen.

 

**

 

Cas woke up to the sound of a heart monitor. The room he was in was dim, and he groaned as he turned his head to face the door. A blob of red swam into his vision, and he blinked a few times until Charlie’s hair came into focus. She was slumped over on his bed, her head pillowed in her arms, hair sprawled across the sheets. He raised his hand and patted her head gently, hoping not to wake her. He had no idea what time it was but judging by the lack of light filtering through the blinds on the window, he figured it was either very late, or very, very early.

Charlie stirred as he patted her hair and looked up at him. Tear tracks lined her cheeks, but when she saw Castiel looking over at her, a grin split her face as she launched herself into his arms. “Thank god, Cas, you had me so worried!”

Castiel cradled her head as she sobbed against him, letting her wear herself out. When her crying slowed to sniffles, he asked her what had happened.

“When you screamed, I ran out of my room to see what was going on and was able to catch you before you cracked your head on the kitchen floor.” He nodded, remembering that much, and she continued. “When I got you down on the floor, you started convulsing. I called an ambulance and they brought you here. You’re at Martin Army Community Hospital, by the way. The medics that responded said that you had the worst case of pining sickness they had ever seen and wanted you in the hands of the military docs since your mate is deployed.” She swallowed and shifted around until she was sitting on the edge of the bed and could look at him. “I got a call from base command today, Cas. Our unit was hit by enemy fire, but we don’t know anything more just yet. Is that…” She trailed off as he nodded.

“Yes, Dean and I were talking when the first mortar hit, and he’d just left the computer when the second one hit the communications tent. I heard… I heard screams Charlie, and I saw flames and…”

Castiel’s chest heaved as the scene flashed behind his eyes again. He heard the heart monitor reflecting his distress, but couldn’t stop it, couldn’t draw a full breath. Charlie grabbed him by the shoulders and pushed his nose into her shoulder and rubbed his back until he could get control over his breathing.

“I’m so sorry, Charlie, I…”

She hushed him with a finger to his lips. “It’s alright Cas. Honestly, the only reason I’m not freaking out right now is because I’m here with you. Let's just wait to freak out until they get more information, yeah?”

She shuffled around until they were able to cling together like starfish as they drifted off, noses buried in whatever skin they could reach.

 

**

 

The next few months were torture for Castiel and Charlie. They’d finally heard back from base command that everyone in the unit was fine, but they were being moved to another FOB and would have no outside contact. They had to rely on letters and updates from command. Dorothy hadn’t even been in the tent at the time of the attack, and Dean had gotten out with just scrapes and bruises.

Cas had been sent home a few days after the attack with a stronger prescription for his pining meds since his stress levels had burned right through the previous dosage.

With the higher dosage and weekly trips to a therapist, he was finally able to get through a night without screaming himself (and Charlie, who’d taken to sleeping with him) awake.

December came, and Charlie bullied him into decorating the house, saying that there was no way in hell Dean would let him skip out on decorating if he was here. He grudgingly helped her decorate, and even dragged the Christmas tree out of the attic and helped her set it up. As they were putting the last touches on the tree, the doorbell rang. He handed off the ornament he was holding and waded his way through the boxes that were scattered across the floor, calling out that he was coming when they rang the doorbell again.

Castiel’s heart dropped to his shoes when he opened the door to see Dean’s unit commander on his doorstep, in dress blues and his hat tucked under his arm. “Mr. Winchester-Novak?”

Castiel swallowed, hearing his own throat click. “Yes, that’s me. How can I help you, General?”

The General’s face stayed impassive, but his eyes twinkled as he slapped Castiel’s shoulder. “I hear that you also have a Charlie Bradbury staying with you, is that correct? Is it alright if I come in?”

Castiel nodded and leaned back to shout at Charlie to get the General some water to drink. He opened the door further and invited the General in, directing him towards the kitchen. The General looked around as they traversed through the house, taking in the decorations and the boxes strewn everywhere. Castiel blushed a little at the fact that Dean’s commanding officer had seen the house in such a state, but he had come by unannounced…

“General Jackson,” the General said, as he stuck out a hand to first Charlie then Castiel. “I understand you had a bit of a hard time after the attack on the original FOB, is that correct Castiel?”

Castiel felt a little stunned as he nodded. “Yes, sir. The stress from the situation broke through my pining meds and sent me into an attack that required a hospital stay, as well as a higher dose of meds and required therapy to help with the PTSD from what I saw…” He trailed off as he realized that he probably shouldn’t be telling the General that he had seen the communications tent get smashed up by the mortar.

General Jackson waved his hand in dismissal of Castiel’s obvious discomfort. “It’s alright, son, I’ve gotten the sitrep, I already know that you were on the line with your mate at the time of the attack.” He sat down and took a sip of water. “What I want to know is why didn’t you inform the unit of your collapse?”

Castiel tilted his head and stared at the General. “I… wasn’t aware I needed to, sir. They released me a few days after and I was fine. I was in no danger of relapse, or so they told me, and was in good health otherwise.”

General Jackson muttered something under his breath as he pinched the bridge of his nose. “Figures. What the medical staff failed to tell you is that any time someone has a bout of pining sickness bad enough to send them to the hospital with a mate that’s deployed, the stateside mate is supposed to inform the unit so we can bring your mate home for at least a few days to help you recover.” He dropped his hand to the table and looked up at Castiel, his eyes sad. “Son, we could have pulled Major Winchester home for a week to allow you to not have to deal with the PTSD that came after.”

Oh. Well then. That was a bit of news that Castiel could have used four months ago. He grumbled a little under his breath and then sighed. “It’s over and done with General. I will, however, be sure to let the rest of the spouses with mates know that, though, in case something like that happens again.”

General Jackson nodded, and stood up, gathering his cover from the table as he rose. “Good. Now, I’d like the two of you to come with me up to HQ, if that’s alright with you?”

Charlie and Castiel looked at each other in surprise.

“Uh, sure, sir, but what for?” Charlie smelled nervous as she dashed over to the couch to get her coat, Castiel following suit.

“You’ll see.”

 

**

 

As it turned out, the whole of 1st SFAB had been brought home without anyone knowing. The base commanders had managed to get them stateside, in-processed, and medically and mentally cleared before someone caught wind of the returned troops.

It was glorious.

“CAS!” Castiel caught wind of Dean’s leather and spice scent seconds before the man himself swept him up and twirled him around in a tight hug. Their noses were buried in each other’s neck, right on top of their mating scars. Castiel heard someone whimpering, and realized it was him.

Dean was home for Christmas.

**Author's Note:**

> And there it is! I have another half of the present Toby. For the private reunion, I want you to tell me what you want to see in it, and I'll post it as a NSFW chapter 2.


End file.
